Well, not really the end of the story, as I continue here past the title.
I've long been in the camp of not scoffing at the raising gas prices, because I believe that the only way for the system to change is to let it implode; to shock it.
Kinda like that Peter Gabriel song "Shock the Monkey?" Yeah, sure, whatever. Go back to your 80s porridge pie, papa bear. SOOOOORY POOOOOORIDGE! (that's for you, M.H. - love to ya, brother! Meet me in Peru, okay? Hopefully.)
Unfortunately, it will be a tough transition period, and many will suffer in the process. Many who aren't prepared for the change or can't afford the rise in all the things rising gas prices will affect.
As gas prices go up, so do many other things... such as the food we eat, and the products that we buy. The costs of the shipping will carry over to the costs of the retailer, which will then carry over to the costs of the consumer.
THAT MEANS YOU AND ME.
I'm hoping that wiser minds see what's coming and come up with solutions to spearhead the transition away from fossil fuels... the acceleration of hybrid and plug-in vehicles, also to that of large shipping trucks and other types of transportation such as aircraft and watercraft. We need the post-Prius version of those! Perhaps rail could make a larger comeback...but without the coal burning engines, please.Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
So anyway, those are the thoughts for the night. Maybe wishful thinking, but the American people are inventive. When faced with a dire situation, they learn to improvise.
I know we will learn to improvise with this transition away from oil. We have no choice. We have to! S
About all I'm capable of doing right now is wishing everyone a happy Earth Day, and an environmentally responsible Earth Week, as I'm laid out on my ass with food poisoning today.
Going back to bed, hope everyone's doing better than I am. S
Yep, it's a disease...you mean you haven't heard of it?
Maybe you've felt it, however. I know I do.
It may have started in me in the 1970s, when I was still under the age of 10. Not kidding...only at the time, I didn't really understand exactly "what it was" that was bothering me.
Maybe it was watching carbon emissions spewing out of the cars at the time in a cloud of blue and black smoke, and thinking "Huh. That stinky stuff probably isn't good for the air. If you add it all up over time, what are the consequences of all of it going to be on the atmosphere?"
I was probably as young as 7 or 8 at the time, and my mind was starting to pine over this stuff...and then I'd sky rocket the water bill by taking the garden hose to a mound of dirt to create streams in make-believe natural settings for my G.I. Joe and his jeep.
What can I say, I was Mr. Supersophiticated... way ahead of my time.
So you can only imagine where that's evolved around 30 years later.
I don't consider myself to be much of a worrywart, but I do have an obsessive-compulsive side...and I'd say the subject of the environment, and the behaviors related to my "carbon footprint," well...I guess they plague my brain.
Maybe plague isn't the right word, because it's all for a good cause...I say plague in the context that I feel the weight of the issue on my shoulders EVERYWHERE I GO...and I almost can't look at ANYTHING without trying to assess the carbon footprint equation it introduces to the planet.
It's attached to EVERYTHING. The behaviors of strangers. Which waste receptacle to use, and why isn't the glass one provided? Driving by fast food drive-thru lines with the rows of cars idling. Food consumption and its sources. Guilt at the gas pump on why I haven't picked up a hybrid yet...and contemplating if I'll still feel guilt at the pump even when I have a hybrid. The oil used in paving roads. Building design and efficiency of heating and cooling systems. The exhaust trail behind the plane flying overhead. The images on television of ice caps melting and polar bears in peril.
AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!There...now I feel better.
...is to represent an environmental chronicle of sorts --- an ongoing report card on the status of our national and planet-wide ecology --- and discussion of what our political landscape brings to bear on it. Together we can help affect change!!!
I might occasionally noodle into other topics that keep me amused, such as music and a little sports commentary, just to mix things up a bit.
Be sure to keep visiting the p-patch to see what kind of new shtick is growing. The best garden parties are here! ...FYI it's pronounced "pee-patch" (not trying to encourage indecent exposure in the garden either, so keep your pants zipped please)
A polar bear's plea...
"Hey human dummies! When you screw me out of my homeland, you screw yourself!" Wow! I didn't know a polar bear could talk --- but I hear what he's saying --- do you?
It's so darn oooooooold around here!!! Where's Rip Van Winkle?
Majestic Old Growth in Washington State mystifies the senses.
The "superintendents of the desert" silently rule in God's country...
...the mighty saguaros reach for the heavens - and echo the timeless heritage of Arizona.
Ahhh, it's the spidery Ocotillo cactus...
...my favorite desert plant... another survivor, and its floral blooms in springtime are amazing... uh, I hope the biker doesn't wipe out. That would hurt.
Birdy!!!
An Arizona Cardinal taking advantage of some leisure time (when it's not getting checked midfield by an angry Seahawk). Is Zorn in the room?
The Oregon Coast
Some of the most amazing views and rugged coastline on the planet. Proves that Mother Nature is the greatest artist - hands down.
another "lunatic fringe frightener," a p-patch scarecrow.
I've gotta get me one of these! This garden party probably rocks, and it looks like a bit of a freak show, like something left over from a Sun Ra concert. My kind of folk.
Hints on how to behave in the p-patch - a loose "civility policy" if you will...
Say what you mean, and mean what you say, but don't be mean when you say it. If you're one of those p-patch bullies, then we'll turn the hose on you.
This site is intended for constructive dialogue and expression of views - let's keep it that way and have some fun!
Personal attacks are totally unnecessary, and those doing so in the garden may trip over a sprinkler hose, step on a rake, or even get a shovel thrown at them (but hey, I didn't do it).
SWEVA'S P-PATCH is a blog. If you're new to this sort of forum, I'd advise you to read some postings and walk around the garden a bit before posting any comments. That way you'll have more fun at the garden party!
so Sweva, I still don't get it. What in the heck's a "p-patch?"
A p-patch is a small community garden. The ones I'm familiar with are in Seattle, and from what I can tell managed in a coordinated effort between the city and residents since they legally belong to the public. The city actually has a job dedicated specifically to the p-patch program, "Community Garden Liaison." While they may be on private property, they are sanctioned and protected through easements and cannot be wrecked by a said property owner - even if they're blocking street access from garages. Many of the p-patches are nearly microscopic in size and tucked into odd little corners around town. I'll try to find a link that has more insights and see how the program got started.
Well, not really the end of the story, as I continue here past the title.
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